A Rose By Any Other Name
by MurphysMuse
Summary: When Rose moved to Brooklyn, the last thing she expected was to meet and fall for a dangerous man like Marco Vendetti. Will he ever change his ways? Or will she be caught in the crossfire? ***CURRENTLY ON HIATUS***
1. Chapter 1

**Hi Everyone—I've fixed the formatting issue with the first 2 chapters and replaced them. Hopefully this makes for easier reading! :) A reminder, this story is taking place a full year before Marco goes to jail—Summer of 1954. **

****I do not own Marco (more's the pity) or anything you recognize from "Deuces Wild", just Rose ****

Brooklyn in the summertime could make you feel like you were in the 7th circle of Hell. At least, that's how Rose felt as she walked home from work in the late afternoon sun. She couldn't wait to get to her apartment, take a long, cool shower, and then get changed to go out with some of the girls in the neighborhood. Rose had moved to Brooklyn from Queens 2 weeks ago, and she was slowly making some new friends. Her parents had both died before she was 15. She had lived with her aunt in Queens after their death. Her parents hadn't been rich, but they had left her enough money to put her through a secretarial course. Once she graduated, she found herself a job in an insurance office and promptly moved out of her aunt's apartment, happy to have some freedom. She was a little nervous when she first moved to the tight-knit, mostly-Italian neighborhood, worried that she would have trouble meeting new people and making friends. But she soon realized that most of the girls were friendly, asking her to come out with them for pizza, or to hang out at Willie's Candy Store.

Rose was starving since she hadn't taken a lunch break that afternoon, so she decided to stop by Emilio's on her way home to have a slice of pizza and a soda. She sighed audibly when she made it inside, thankful to be out of the glare of the hot sun. "What'll it be, miss?" the man behind the counter asked, after she had herself settled on a stool. "A slice of Sicilian and a Coke, please." she answered. After taking several long sips of her ice cold Coke, she sighed again. The shop was empty except for 2 tables of about a dozen guys, who were eating and laughing. As she sipped at her Coke, she felt her neck start to prickle. She was positive someone was staring at her, but she didn't want to turn around and look at the table of guys. Rose had always been quiet, and she didn't think she could handle the attention of a dozen rowdy men. She tried to ignore the feeling, but it felt like someone was burning holes in the back of her head. She tried to concentrate on eating her slice, but she was feeling uneasy. Just as she decided to take her slice to go, she felt movement by her left shoulder and heard a voice say, "Don't think I ever seen you here before, dollface...you new in town?" The voice was soft, but sexy & masculine. She swallowed hard to finish her bite of pizza, and turned to see the most beautiful, piercing blue eyes looking at her.

The man was gorgeous. No doubt about it. Dark, slicked-back hair, broad shoulders, and a sexy smirk curling his lips. When she finally managed to get her pizza down, she answered him, "Yeah—I just moved to the neighborhood a few weeks ago." He moved just a little closer to her and said "Got a name, beautiful?" She couldn't believe a man as gorgeous as him was talking to her. "Rosalia, but everyone just calls me Rose." she answered. He leaned closer to her face and said softly, "Rose, huh? I like it. Suits you—you're beautiful, just like a rose. You blush like one, too." he smirked, noticing the color rising on her cheeks at his compliment. She couldn't meet his eyes anymore—his gaze was just too intense- so she took a sip of her drink to give herself a moment to gather her wits. She looked up and sure enough, he was staring at her, that smirk still on his lips. Finally she asked, "You going to tell me_ your_ name?" He looked shocked for a brief second, then she heard him mumble something about how he couldn't believe she didn't know who he was. Then he took one of her hands in both of his and said " Name's Marco. Marco Vendetti. I guess since you just moved here, you wouldn't have heard of me...yet. How 'bout I take you out for dinner tonight, Rose? Show you the sights?" She wanted to go out with him, badly, but she didn't want to drop her new girlfriends for a guy she had just met. "I'd love to, but I already have plans for tonight." Marco looked furious for a second, but then his expression was blank again. He couldn't believe she had turned him down! Who did she think she was? "So tell your friends you have new plans, doll." Now Rose may have been shy & quiet, but deep down she had quite a temper. And this guy ordering her to drop everything for him was starting to make that temper boil. She kept it in check when she said, "Sorry, I can't just ditch my girlfriends like that. It's rude. Maybe some other time?" She stood to leave, but Marco took a gentle, but firm, hold of her arm. "Tomorrow night, then. I insist." he said with a hint of steel, still smiling—though the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

Rose had a feeling this guy could be very volatile. She didn't want to make things worse by losing her temper. She looked at him with a sharp gleam in her eye when she said, "Tomorrow is fine." He dropped her arm after squeezing it just a bit. "Tomorrow night, I'll pick you up at 7. Sharp. Wear something nice." He asked for her address, which she gave him, while inwardly seething. _Ugh, what a domineering jerk! _she thought. "Later, Rose!" he called to her with a little finger wave as she walked out the door, hearing his friends laughing & cat-calling loudly. It took every ounce of her willpower not to turn around and give him the finger. How had she gone from feeling so nervous & excited by him, to wanting to punch him in the nuts? She decided maybe he had acted like he did because his friends had been watching. Maybe he was afraid of losing face, so he ended up acting like a dick to compensate. She was willing to overlook the attitude—once. He was extremely sexy, after all, and it had been way too long since she had been out on a date. She'd have to ask the girls about Marco Vendetti tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

****I do not own anything you recognize from "Deuces Wild", just Rose ****

"Hey Betsey! Be right there!" Rose called down from the window. She had taken her cool shower (which she partially needed to calm her hormones after her encounter with Marco), and she was almost ready to go. She had pulled her shiny, dark brown hair into a high ponytail. She had put on a pair of tight black capris and a yellow halter top that set off her olive skin. She just couldn't seem to find her black sandals. After scouring her closet she finally found them in a box that had only been partially unpacked from the move. She put them on, grabbed her pocketbook, and headed downstairs.

There were 3 girls her age waiting in a white convertible when she got outside: Betsey, who she liked the most, Betty Ann, and Mary. Betsey smiled at her as she hopped into the backseat. "Where are we headed tonight?" asked Rose. "I thought we could head to the fair—walk around, play some games, maybe meet up with Leon and his friends later." Betsey answered. Leon was Betsey's boyfriend. Rose had only met him twice, but she liked him. He was friendly, introducing her to his friends, and it was clear he loved his girlfriend. As they drove to the fair, the girls chatted easily about their day. Then Betty Ann looked at Rose and asked what she had done that day. She told them that work had been boring, but that something interesting had happened after work. As they were pulling into a parking space, she mentioned that she had met a really handsome guy who had asked her out. But as soon as she said the words "Marco Vendetti", Betsey slammed so hard on the brakes they nearly got whiplash.

"Marco Vendetti?!" Betsey exclaimed. "You cannot tell me you are planning to go out with him. Please tell me you're joking!" Rose was taken aback, and wondered if maybe he had been an ex-boyfriend of one of the girls—she couldn't figure out why else they'd be reacting so strongly to his name. "Why? What's wrong with Marco?" she asked. The other 3 girls looked at each other, then back at Rose. "Rose, Marco Vendetti is bad news. He's a mean, vicious jerk. He's a drug dealer. He's a gang leader. He treats women like pieces of meat. Do I need to go on?" Betsey asked. Rose stared at her, ready to disagree, but then remembering that she'd seen a glimpse of his bad temper earlier. "What could it hurt to let him take me to dinner?" she asked instead, curious to see their response. Rose hated to be told what to do. When someone did that, her first instinct was to do the exact opposite of whatever they said. She didn't want to lose her new friends, but the fact that they were warning her off made her want to see Marco even more. "It could hurt your reputation, that's what." answered Betty Ann. "Marco Vendetti doesn't date, Rose. He does whatever it takes to get in a girl's pants, and then he leaves. And he makes sure to tell _everyone_ all the details afterwards. He's a jerk. Trust us, we know enough girls who fell for him and ended up with a broken heart. We would hate to see that happen to you." Rose could see the girls were genuinely concerned. So instead of arguing further, she simply sighed and said, "All right. Who's hungry? I could destroy a funnel cake right now!" The girls laughed and headed into the fair.

The girls had a great time walking around the fair, sharing funnel cakes and cotton candy while waiting for Leon and his friends to show up. They had even tried a few of the games—Rose was great at darts. She had excellent aim and ended up with a decent sized white teddy bear for her efforts. She was talking to the girls, who asked what her secret was, when she saw Betsey's eyes light up. She knew that she must've spotted Leon. Sure enough, when she looked to her left she saw Leon and a few other guys headed their way. He came up and gave Betsey a quick kiss on the lips, putting his arm around her shoulder before turning to Rose. "Hey Rose! How do you like the fair?" he asked with a smile. "It's great, Leon. I'm so glad I came out with the girls tonight!" she answered. As they walked down the fairway, she saw Betsey whispering something in Leon's ear. He glanced at Rose with a frown. She guessed that Betsey was filling him in on her encounter with Marco. Once they reached some benches, Leon motioned for his friends to give them some time alone. They took the hint, and asked Betty Ann and Mary if they wanted to ride some of the rides with them.

Once everyone but Rose, Leon, and Betsey had left, Leon turned to Rose with a serious expression. "Rose. Betsey tells me you're planning to go out with Marco Vendetti. Even though I haven't known you long, you're already becoming like a little sister to me. So let me just tell you that going anywhere with Marco is a bad idea. He's not a good guy. He's part of the reason my brother Al is into drugs. Every time we almost get Allie Boy clean, Marco or one of his crew end up selling him more junk. You are a nice girl, Rose. There are plenty of guys in Sunset Park who'd love to take you out. Please say you'll reconsider." Rose studied him. She knew he was in earnest, and she didn't want to alienate all the new friends she'd made, but she couldn't get Marco's blue eyes out of her head. She slowly shook her head before she answered. "Leon, I know you're all trying to look out for me. I appreciate it. But I already said I would. I don't like to go back on my word. If he's a jerk tomorrow, I won't be seeing him again. Who knows? Maybe he wants to change his ways?" Leon laughed and then sighed. "A leopard doesn't change it's spots. You'll see. Just don't say we didn't warn you. Let's go find the guys." He took Betsey's hand to pull her up & headed back towards the rides. Rose followed, but the rest of the night was clouded with irritation from that talk. _I'll show them_, she thought. _I'll show them that Marco Vendetti isn't nearly as bad as everyone says. _Rose never backed down from a challenge.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to all who have reviewed, favorited, and/or followed this story! I'm so glad you are enjoying it so far! This is a pretty long chapter—I just didn't feel like I could break it up into 2. Also, I apologize if the story formatting looks weird. It looks fine when I copy it, but for some reason when I look at it on my phone, it's all one big run-on paragraph. I hope it's just my phone, and I'm trying to fix it!**

****I don't own anything you recognize from "Deuces Wild", just Rose! (although I wouldn't mind having my very own Marco!) ****

Rose stood in front of her closet looking at her clothing mournfully. "I have nothing to wear," she muttered, as she moved from one dress to the next. What do you wear on a date with a guy who is completely sexy & dangerous? She glanced at the clock by her bed and saw that it was 6:15 already. At least she was showered and had her hair fixed. She really needed to pick something soon though, and then get her make-up on. She had a feeling that when Marco said "7 o'clock sharp" he meant it. After looking through her dresses one last time, she settled on a dark red dress. It had a halter top, cinched in at the waist, and a full skirt that stopped just above her knees. Once she had her dress and her nice black heels, she put her make-up on, making her lips a deep red, and adding several coats of mascara to her long lashes. "Damn. I look pretty good," she said to her reflection in the mirror. She looked around in yet another unpacked box that she knew had her nice black clutch, and transferred her keys and a few other goodies from her every day purse to the clutch. Another glance at the clock and she saw it was 6:58—she was ready just in time.

As she sat on her sofa, expecting a knock at her door any minute, she was startled by three short blasts from a car horn. After another minute, she heard them again. She went to look out of her living room window and saw Marco standing by a cherry red convertible, looking up impatiently at her building. "You've got to be kidding me," she muttered as she opened the window wide. "Hey Romeo, ever heard of knocking on the door?" she called down to him. He smirked up at her, cigarette dangling from the corner of his lips. "Stop staring and get down here, Rose!" he answered. She shook her head at him and said,"You too lazy to walk up the stairs, Marco?" He stared hard at her for a minute before calling, "Hey Juliet, you wanna yell back and forth all night, or you wanna go to dinner?" Then she saw him walk to the driver's side door and get in. She sighed, shut the window, and headed down to his waiting car. _What the hell am I doing? I should just let him leave._ she thought. But, thinking of those eyes, those shoulders, and that smirk, she knew she'd let this slide too. _But next time, he's going to walk his lazy ass up those stairs. _

She knew it would really be a stretch to think he'd get out and open the door for her, so she got into the convertible quickly, shutting the door and turning to look at him."How nice to see you Marco," she said sarcastically. He looked over at her and took in her red dress and her long, toned legs. Rose was a tall girl to begin with, almost 5"8', and the heels would make her almost the same height as Marco. She had pulled her hair up in a french knot, and his tongue darted over his lower lip as his eyes swept up her slender neck. He leaned over a little closer to her and said, "You look gorgeous, doll. Really great." She blushed at his compliment and he smirked to himself as he started the car and pulled out. "Where are we going?" she asked. "Trattoria Sorelle." he answered, his eyes on the road. They drove in silence for another 10 minutes until they reached the restaurant. To her surprise, he came around and opened her door, helping her out of the car. With his hand on her lower back, he guided her to the door of the restaurant and ushered her in.

The restaurant was dimly lit, and the waiter led them to a small table in a far corner. After taking their drink orders, he left. Rose looked up from studying her menu to meet Marco's eyes. He was watching her intently, and she felt uncomfortable under such close scrutiny. "What?" she asked. He smiled at her her and said, "Nothing. Just enjoying the view." She blushed again._ Dammit Rose, stop that!_ She told herself furiously. Just then the waiter came back to take their orders. Marco ordered veal parmesan for both of them. After the waiter left, he looked at her and said, "You're not one of them girls that gets her panties in a twist if a guy orders for her, right?" She laughed and said "No. Not usually." "So Rose," he began as he leaned towards her,"tell me about yourself. What brings you to Sunset Park?" Marco actually couldn't have cared less, but he knew if he wanted to get this chick naked, he'd have to at least make a show of being interested in her life. All Marco ever really thought about was himself, making money, and getting laid. He didn't date girls, ever. They got attached, and then they got emotional, and he hated that. As she talked, he was taking in her big hazel eyes, her full lips, her neck—_God, I can't wait to lick that neck later, _he thought—trying to keep his gaze from going too low too soon. He couldn't help it though as she leaned towards him, putting her hand tentatively on his, her ample cleavage right in his line of vision. "Marco? You still here?" she asked. She had noticed that he seemed a little distracted. "Sorry, Rose. I was just thinking how lucky I am that you agreed to come out with me tonight," he said. _Girls love that romantic shit,_ he thought. She smiled but before she could respond, their food arrived. They ate in silence, and decided to skip dessert.

After getting Rose settled into the car, he got in and started driving. "Where are you going, Marco?" Rose asked. "Thought we could take a drive, there's a place I know with a great view of the Manhattan skyline," he answered. _Plus it's dark, private, and I'm planning to fuck you in my backseat,_ he added in his mind. Once they reached the spot Marco talked about, he put the car in park and put his arm around the back of her seat. "What do ya think?" he asked. .She looked at the twinkling lights from the city across the bridge and smiled. "It's beautiful," she replied. "Not as beautiful as you," he said, moving closer to her. He reached out with a finger to turn her face to him, and kissed her softly on the lips. When she responded by parting her lips a bit, he took that as a sign to keep going. He brought one hand to her hair, and the other was still cupping her face as his tongue made it's way into her mouth. She moaned softly and brought her hands around his shoulders. _Jesus, these shoulders should be illegal_, she thought. The hand cupping her face started to drift down her shoulder, then her arm, and then made it's way to her breast. When his thumb skimmed over her breast, she tensed and pulled her mouth from his. "What are you doing?" she asked. His mouth had moved to that delicious neck, and started to suck gently at the hollow of her throat. His hand was still fondling her breast. He ignored her question until she said, "MARCO. What. Are. You. Doing?"

"Seriously Rose?" he groaned. "Marco, get your hand off my boob. Now." He continued his assault on her neck, his hand staying right where it was, firmly squeezing her breast. She let out a gasp before she could stop herself. "Marco. I am not having sex with you in this car," she said. "Okay, you wanna go to my place or yours?" he asked. He was harder than he'd ever been, and he wanted to get inside of her, fast. "I think you misunderstand. I'm not having sex with you. Anywhere. Not in the car, not at my apartment. Not anywhere. That's just...that's not how I am." she stated. She felt embarrassed. Of course he expected sex. She should've known. "You a virgin, Rose," he asked. He was still kissing around her collarbone, trying to wear down her resistance. "Not that it's any of your business...no. I'm not. I just don't sleep with guys I barely know. Now seriously, get off me. NOW!" He pulled back and gave her a glare. "Fuckin' dick tease," he muttered. "Well, Sister Rose, I guess I better get you home, huh, before the Mother Superior kicks you out of the convent." "You don't have to be such an asshole," she said. Just before he pulled out, he heard someone yelling his name as another car screeched into the spot next to his. He put the car in park, leaving it running, as he hopped out. He saw his friend Vinnie coming towards him. "Marco, we've got a problem. You need to get back to the club." Marco looked at Rose, waiting furiously in the car. "Take her home, Vin. I'll meet you there," he said. "Rose, I'm gonna have Vinnie drop you off. I've got some business to attend to," he said as Vinnie went around to help her out of the car. Once she was in Vinnie's car, he took off for the club. Vinnie dropped her off at her place without so much as a goodbye, and she stomped up the stairs, slamming her door behind her. What the hell? Did he just want to get into her pants? And furthermore, why didn't she just let him? He was so hot, and she hadn't had sex in 2 years. Feeling frustrated with Marco and herself, she got ready for bed. I guess Betsey and Leon were right. He's a jerk.

Marco headed to the club, and he was angry. Angry that she was being such a prude. Angry at being interrupted. He thought if he had had just a little more time, he could've changed her mind. Whatever was going on at the club better be important, or someone was going to be sorry. He pulled in, slamming the car door behind him. He walked in and looked at everyone sitting there, staring at him. "What the fuck is so fucking important that you had to send Vinnie out to get me?" he asked with barely contained rage. At first, no one answered. Then his cousin Philly cleared his throat nervously, before he said,"Sorry about that Marco. One of the runners got jumped. Took all the junk he had on him, plus all the cash too." Marco glared and said,"Who fuckin' stole from me? Huh?" When no one answered he yelled,"I asked you a fucking question! Who the fuck stole my fucking money?" Philly said,"We don't know, Marco. The runner is dead. We found him in an alley. We went looking for him when he wasn't back after an hour." "So," Marco began,"let me get this straight. Someone jumps and kills one of MY runners. Steals MY fucking money. Steals MY fucking drugs. And NO ONE HAS A FUCKING CLUE WHO DID IT?! You better fucking figure it out by tomorrow, or everyone in this room is in deep shit!" He stormed out of the club, got in his car, and headed back to his place. Once he got inside, he put on a black wife beater and some gray sweatpants. He was beyond pissed at his gang. But what he was still really fuming about was Rose. He needed to figure out a way to either get her off his mind or get her into his bed, and he needed to do it soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Rose sighed as she walked home from work. It had been another long, aggravating day. Her boss had lost some insurance forms but had blamed it on Rose. She couldn't afford to lose her job so she didn't argue too much, but she was at her wit's end. Her day was made more aggravating by the fact that she was still pissed off at Marco. It had been almost 2 weeks since their "date". He had stopped her nearly every day on her way home to try to talk, and she kept giving him the brush-off. He was getting angrier each time she refused to speak to him, and she had a feeling things were about to boil over soon. With her luck, it'd be today. As she turned the corner to her block, she saw him leaning against the wall outside the pizza place, ankles crossed, cigarette in his mouth. He had his arms folded across his chest and he was watching her with narrowed eyes. _Speak of the devil, _she thought.

She started to walk past him, not even looking his way, when an arm shot out and grabbed a hold of her bicep. "Rose, we need to talk," Marco said. She looked at his hand on her arm, then back up to him. "Get your hands off of me." "Not until you listen to what I have to say," he snarled. She leaned in closer to him. "If you don't get your hand off of me right now, I will break every single one of your fingers," she hissed. "I am not in the mood for your bullshit, Vendetti." He looked at her with his eyes wide, and shocked her when he started to laugh. "Jesus Rose, you sound scary as hell!" He continued to laugh quietly to himself, but didn't let go of her arm. "It's been 2 weeks Rose—why won't you just talk to me?" he asked. Anyone who had heard this exchange would've been surprised. Marco sounded genuinely upset that she wouldn't talk to him. And though he hated to admit it, he actually was. It bothered him that this girl had gotten into his head like this, and he couldn't explain why. "Fine Marco. I'll give you 3 minutes, and that's it. I had a shitty day and I just want to go home," she said. She had slowly been caving over the last few days—there was just something about Marco that she found hard to resist. She knew that he was a jerk. She knew he was not the kind of guy she should go for, but she still wanted him. "Rose, I just wanted to say I feel bad about the way things ended up that night. I had to leave and see what was happening with my...business," he said. Rose looked at him, waiting for him to say something about what happened in the car, or actually say he was sorry. When it was apparent he wasn't going to, she said,"Marco, should I assume that was an apology?" All she got in response was a hard stare. "Ooooo-kay. Well, consider your apology accepted. Now let go of my arm so I can go home." He looked at her for a second before letting go of her arm. She turned to walk away, but he called her name again. When she turned around, he said,"What are you doing tonight?" "I don't know. I was planning to go to the movies with the girls, but I'm tired. Why?" she asked. "Listen doll, I know you don't want to go out with me again just yet. But let me give you a ride home from the movies. It ain't safe around here at night right now," he said. "It's probably safer to walk home at night than be in a car alone with you," she answered him. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers when he said,"Rose, I swear I'll keep my hands to myself. I just want to see you home safely." After considering it for a minute, she sighed. "All right. You can pick me up and give me a ride home, _Dad_." He smirked as she started to walk away. "See ya later, dollface!"

Marco hadn't been kidding about things not being safe on the streets right now. After putting the fear of God (or maybe the wrath of Marco) into the rest of the Vipers, they had hit the streets to find out who had killed their runner. While they didn't know exactly who, they were able to find out that it was someone who belonged to an Irish gang that wanted to move into their part of Brooklyn. "Fuckin' micks, think they can just kill my people, steal my money? They have no idea who they just fucked with," Marco told Vinnie and Jimmy. F or 2 weeks, Marco had had his guys digging up as much dirt on this new gang as he could. He knew that these guys were part of the Westies. This gang had roots in Hell's Kitchen, but apparently some of the guys had moved to Brooklyn and were looking to expand their business here. He knew some of these guys were bat shit crazy, and the thought of Rose walking alone at night, getting grabbed by one of these guys, made him see red. "Vinnie, Jimmy. Someone had to see who killed our guy. It's not like it happened in the middle of nowhere- it happened in an alley for fuck's sake! Figure out who, and do it soon. The sooner we can shut these guys down, the better." Jimmy and Vinnie nodded and left Marco's apartment to get the word out to the rest of the Vipers. No one wanted Marco pissed at them. Marco looked at the clock- 7:30. He had another 2 ½ hours til he could pick Rose up. Marco grabbed a beer from his fridge, lit another cigarette, and sat on his couch to watch TV. Rose. Why the hell was he so worried about this girl? Why did he like her so much? As he took a long pull from his beer, he thought about how she had looked that night they went out. Those long legs, pouty lips, the way she moaned when he kissed her neck._ Pull yourself together!_ He thought._ She's just another piece of ass. If she won't put out, there are plenty who will_. Hell, he'd fucked every single one of the Velvets at least once. They were always willing and able if he so much as looked at them. He kept an eye on the time, and finally at 9:30, he headed to the Drive-In to pick up Rose.

Rose could barely concentrate on the movie. All she could think about was Marco. She wasn't sure how to act around him yet. She couldn't deny that she wanted to see more of him, even if he did tend to act like a chauvinist jerk sometimes—okay, most of the time. The fact that he wanted to get her home safe made her willing to give him another shot, if he asked for one. When the movie finally ended, Rose hopped out of the car with a wave to the girls. They were not very enthusiastic about the idea of her going anywhere with Marco again, but she didn't care. "Are you sure you don't want us to stay, make sure he actually shows up?" Betsey asked. She was the most upset by Rose's decision to talk to him again. "I'll be fine! Just go!" she answered. She walked to the front of the Drive-In and looked around, but she didn't see him anywhere. As the number of cars thinned out, she was starting to get worried. What if he didn't show? It would be a helluva long walk home. Just as she was starting to panic and look for a phone booth so she could call a cab, she saw him pull up. "Hey Cinderella, hop in before you turn into a pumpkin!" he called to her. She smiled and got into the convertible. "How was the movie?" he asked. "It was all right." she answered. He looked at her closely; she sounded upset. "Something wrong?" he asked. "The girls weren't real thrilled to hear that you'd be picking me up. They think it's a bad idea. They really don't like you, Marco," she said. "Like I give a fuck," he snarled. They drove in silence until the were a few blocks from her apartment. "Rose, will you let me take you out again this week?" he asked as he pulled the car up in front of her building. She didn't answer right away, and Marco was angry. "Doll, I'm not gonna do anything—I just wanna..." "What the hell?" she exclaimed. She had been staring at a dark figure standing on the steps of the building next to hers. This guy was huge- at least 6"5'- and he was holding something that looked a helluva lot like a gun. Aimed at their car. Marco looked up, saw the guy, and yelled,"Rose, get down!" just as a spray of bullets burst out of the man's gun.

Rose had never been so terrified in her life. After what seemed like forever, she went to get up. Marco had pushed her to the floor of the car and laid on top of her to shield her. He told her to run up to her place and lock the door, and not to open it for anyone but him. She ran, her heart slamming in her chest, not seeing the huge man anywhere. She slammed her door and threw the lock in place before running to the window to see what was happening. She could see Marco walking around the front of his car, inspecting the damage. _Of course he's worried about the car_, she thought with a smile. Then he headed to the building next door and disappeared from her view. She decided she needed a drink. Badly. Going to the fridge, she pulled out a bottle of red wine, pouring herself a generous glass and downing it quickly. Then she had another. As she was pouring herself a third glass, she heard pounding on her door and went to look through the peephole. When she saw it was Marco, she unlocked the door to let him in. "Hey Dollface, think I could sit down for a minute?" he asked. His face was pale and he was sweating. His breathing was shallow. He was covered in blood. And that's when she realized he'd been stabbed in the chest.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you again to all who have reviewed, favorited/followed this story! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! My goal is to get 3 chapters up a week, but my daughter is not well. She'll be having a CT scan in 2 weeks and then possibly more surgery. So if I don't update for a bit, please understand that that's why.**

****I do not own Marco or anything from "Deuces Wild", just Rose :) ** **

"Oh my God, Marco!" Rose exclaimed as she helped him make his way to the sofa. "What happened?" "Before we get into that, call Vinnie. Tell him to get over here, but tell him not to tell anyone else where he's going," Marco said. She was about to argue, but he looked awful. She went to the kitchen and quickly called Marco's second-in-command, relaying everything Marco told her. Then she grabbed several dish towels and a glass of water, bringing them out to the living room. She folded the biggest towel up into a square, and after helping him get his shirt off she pressed it to his chest, trying to put enough pressure on his wound to stop the bleeding. She handed him the water to drink. "If I knew this was all it'd take to get you to undress me, I'd have done it weeks ago," he joked. She pressed her lips together, trying not to cry. Her adrenaline rush from earlier was wearing off, and she was feeling shaky, but she couldn't let on. "Why don't you let me take you to the hospital? Vinnie can meet you there-" Rose started to say, but Marco was shaking his head. "We can't go to the hospital. They might call the cops, and the cops can't get involved in this. You're going to have to stitch me up, doll. It's not too deep." "What?! It must be the blood loss talking. I'm not a nurse, I'm a secretary! Don't you dare laugh at me, Vendetti!" she yelled. Marco was snickering at her outraged expression. His color was better, but his breathing was still a bit shallow. Rose was just trying to figure out how she was going to pull this off when she heard pounding on her door. She went over and looked through the peephole just to be sure that it was Vinnie before letting him in. "He's in the living room," she said, pointing.

While Rose went to see if she even owned a needle and thread, Marco filled Vinnie in on what had happened with the shooting. "Okay, so you wanna tell me why a man with a gun stabbed you instead of shooting you?" Vinnie asked. Marco explained that when he went to chase down the shooter, there was another man waiting in an alley two buildings down. As soon as Marco hit the alley, the guy stabbed him and ran. "Fucker didn't wait to see if I was dead. Big mistake," Marco snarled. "It was definitely those guys from the Westies. Now the reason I asked you to come alone & not tell anyone is this: how did those fuckin' guys know I'd be bringing Rose back to her place tonight? They weren't waiting at my place—they were waiting _here_. How many of our guys knew?" Marco demanded. Vinnie thought for a few minutes, before slowly answering him."Only a handful, unless they told some of the other guys when they went out earlier. What are you getting at?" "We've got a rat in our midst, Vin. A rat that almost got me and my girl killed tonight. I need to find out who it is, but we can't let anyone think that we're onto them. Know this: when I find out who tried to sell me out to those Micks, they are going to wish they'd never been born," Marco said. Vinnie flinched, knowing that whoever had been stupid enough to try & set Marco up was as good as dead, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

"You boys need some more time to chat, or can I try sewing up Romeo here?" Rose asked. She had found a needle & thread, some peroxide, ointment, more towels, and bandages for when she was finished. "Go ahead—we're finished for now,"Marco answered. Vinnie got up and said goodbye to them and headed back to his car. "Why is he leaving?" Rose asked as she began to clean his wound. "Who's going to take you home?" Marco didn't answer; he just stared at her. "Okay, I've never had to do anything like this before. It's probably going to hurt. A lot. You want anything before I get started?" she asked. "It might help if you took your shirt off too—I'd feel less self-conscious," he said with a smirk. His smirk turned to a grimace as she started to stitch him up, pulling the thread tight. "Nice try, Romeo. Maybe next time," she smiled. As she continued to stitch, he asked, "So there's gonna be a next time, huh?" "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to go out with you one more time. Since you got shot at and stabbed, I'm feeling charitable," she laughed. Normally Marco would have gotten angry at any girl hinting something like this, but he really liked her. He suddenly realized that yes, he still wanted in her pants. Bad. But he really did like her. She wasn't freaking out and crying like most girls would be. When he asked her to sew him up, she did it. She was a trooper, and he didn't want to mess up this second chance. "There you go—all finished. How are you feeling?" she asked. He whispered something she couldn't hear, so she leaned closer. He took her face in his hands and kissed her fiercely before whispering in her ear, "I'm feeling better now." He moved to kiss her again but she kissed the top of his head instead. "You really need to rest. You want to stay out here, or can you make it to the bedroom?" "Doll, if you give me a hand, I can make it to your bedroom," he said, trying to sit up. Once he got to his feet, he put his arm around her shoulder. She maneuvered him to her guest bedroom and helped him sit down. Her hormones had her heart racing, looking at this beautiful, shirtless man—_God his body is amazing, she thought_- sitting on the bed. "This bed's kinda small—think we'll both fit?" he asked, one eyebrows up. "Nope. This is the guest bedroom. You're a guest. My room is next door. I'll be sleeping there. Alone. You'll be sleeping here—alone. Just yell if you need anything!" she said, before blowing him a kiss from the doorway. Marco grumbled for a minute or two, before finally succumbing to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Please review if you're enjoying the story—I have lots of smut in mind for these two... I just couldn't wait anymore! (Because who doesn't want to get down & dirty with Marco?)**

****I own nothing from Deuces Wild****

Rose woke up early the next morning. She had a rare day off from work because her boss would be away at a conference, but she still automatically woke by 7 a.m. She put a robe on and went to check on her guest. Marco was asleep, lips barely parted, breathing deep and even. His hair was all over the place, a change from the slicked-back style he usually wore. He had kicked the covers off, so she could see that he was wearing nothing but his boxers—at some point during the night, he had taken off his pants. He looked so vulnerable while he was sleeping, and she had a sudden urge to go over and stroke his hair, his back, kiss his face. She stood there for a few minutes, just watching him. She decided she'd get breakfast started, and turned to head to the kitchen when she heard him say,"Enjoying the view, dollface?" She looked back at him—he had his eyes closed, but his lips curled into a smirk. "Just making sure you're still alive. You hungry?" "I could eat," he said, his eyes now wide open and fixed on her face. "You need help getting up before I start breakfast?" she asked. "Nah, I think I can manage. I'll be out soon," he said, blue eyes now on the bit of cleavage revealed by her robe. She turned and headed to the kitchen to start some pancakes.

Marco leaned back on the pillow and sighed._ God she looks beautiful_, he thought. Hair all tangled around her face, that little skimpy robe showing off her perfect legs. He went to sit up and winced as he felt the pull in his chest from the stitches and realized he was only wearing his boxers. He smiled to himself as he saw he was pitching quite a tent and he wondered if Rose had noticed. After a trip to the bathroom, he put his pants back on and headed out to the kitchen, drawn in by the aroma of pancakes and bacon. "Smells good. You cook breakfast like this every morning?" he asked as he sat down at the table. "Not every morning, but I do love to cook," she answered as she put a plate heaped with pancakes in front of him. She put another plate with bacon next to that. After pouring them both some coffee, she took her own plate to the table and they ate in companionable silence. When they were finished, Rose finally asked him what had been on her mind all night. "Marco. Do you happen to know why someone was shooting at us last night? Or why someone stabbed you?" When she saw his jaw tighten she quickly said,"I just wondered if I should be worried about walking to & from work?" After a minute he said,"Those guys were looking for me. I'm just sorry you were there and got caught up in that. You don't need to worry about your personal safety—they're not gonna bother you. I'll make damn sure of it." She smiled, and went to take his plate to the sink. Before she could walk away, he took her arm and pulled her down into his lap. He took the plate out of her hands and then cupped her face before kissing her. "Did I remember to say 'thank you' for stitching me up last night?" he whispered. She shook her head no, and he leaned in and kissed her again. One of his hands moved to the back of her neck, the other moved around her waist, holding her firmly in his lap. Rose let out a sigh, and Marco deepened their kiss as Rose's arms went around his neck. She could feel his erection pressed against her leg and the thought of it, along with the things Marco was doing with his tongue, was making her panties wet. She shifted on his lap, not wanting to get up but knowing this was not the best time. She broke away from him reluctantly and pressed her forehead to his. "I really should get dressed. I need run some errands today," she breathed. He kissed her lightly once more, fingers tracing her collarbone, as he said,"Can't they wait?" Good Lord, the way his fingers were tracing those lazy circles she didn't ever want to move out of his lap. Unless it was to take him right to her bedroom. She knew that if she didn't get up soon, she would end up doing just that, so she said," Don't you want to check in with Vinnie?"

"Fuck Vinnie. He can wait," Marco said as his lips found the pulse point in her throat. His hand moved from her waist to graze the side of her breast. When he heard her sigh again, he moved his hand under her open robe to rub his thumb over her nipple. She gasped and then sighed his name as his mouth followed his hand down to her breast. After a moment he heard her say,"Wait, Marco. Stop." He groaned, "You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" He was rock hard and had no intention of stopping anytime soon. He sucked one of her nipples into his mouth through her thin nightgown, his hand rubbing the other nipple. "I just thought...the bedroom..." she said, unable to get out a complete sentence. Her brain was on sensory overload. Without stopping his assault, he stood up on shaky legs, holding her bridal style. "Which bedroom?" he murmured, stumbling down the hallway. His chest hurt like a bitch, but he was afraid if he put her down, she'd think he wasn't well enough for this—and he had been waiting long enough for her. She pointed to her room and he kicked the door open, setting her on the bed. He stopped kissing her only long enough to take off her nightgown, revealing just a pair of light blue panties underneath. Once he had her nightgown off, he moved to lay over her, mouth on her breast again, hands eagerly roaming her body. Rose was running her fingers through his hair, one arm rubbing his back. He slowly moved down her body, placing kisses everywhere from her breasts to her naval, as one hand moved from her knee lightly up her thigh, to her core. When he lightly rubbed his thumb against her clit, she yelped, the sensation felt so good. He quickly ripped her panties off of her, moving his kisses lower until he hovered right over the place she most wanted him to be. Her back had arched up, eyes closed, waiting with one hand still grasping his hair. He began to slowly lick her from her slit to her clit, causing her to moan his name loudly. As he added his middle finger and pushed it inside her, she felt like she was going to explode. "God, Marco, don't stop. Please!" She could feel him smirk against her as his tongue started to lick her a little faster, applying more pressure to her throbbing bundle of nerves. Before she knew what had hit her, she came hard into his mouth, his tongue never stopping until she stopped shaking. Without saying a word, he moved to his knees, pulling her hips up, and slowly entered her, giving her a few seconds to adjust to his size. Rose gasped—he was_ big_. Bigger than the only other man she'd ever slept with. He started to move in and out of her slowly, taking his time as their tongues moved together. She was gripping his back, and when he hit that sensitive spot inside her, she screamed in pleasure and dug her nails into him. Spurred on by her scream, he picked up his pace until he was pounding into her with everything he had. Just when she thought she couldn't take anymore, he growled,"Cum for me Rose. Now!" Marco knew he couldn't last much longer, and was doing his best to hold on until she came. When he commanded her to cum, Rose shattered beneath him with a wail. Marco thrust into her a few more times before he followed with his own release. They lay there panting, him on top of her, for what seemed like ages before he finally rolled over, groaning at the pain in his chest. Rose looked over with concern, turning her body to face him. "Is your chest all right?" "Doll, _everything_ about me is just fine right now," he answered with his eyes closed. They lay there together on their sides, facing each other, as they drifted off to sleep.


	7. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

**I've gotten some very nice reviews/PM's so far for this story...but not too many. If you have read the story and want to see more, I'd really love to know! I wanted to let everyone reading know that I won't be able to update much until after Easter because of my daughter's health issues. If I don't really get anymore new reviews in that time, then I'll know that interest has simply dropped off and won't continue the story. No harm, no foul! :) To those that have encouraged me to keep writing and have liked what you've seen so far, thank you very much! In the meantime, I wish all who celebrate a Happy Passover or Blessed Easter!**

**~Jessica**


	8. Chapter 7

**So I know I said I wouldn't be updating until after Easter, but I did find myself able to concentrate long enough to write this chapter. No promises on how long it'll take for the next one to be up though! Thank you to those of you who've asked after my daughter- she's feeling pretty good, we're just anxious to get these tests done and see what our next step is (she's already had 3 lung surgeries and may need another which is why I can't seem to concentrate!)**

**Anissa (Guest): Don't worry, I'm not deleting the story! But I really doubt I'll be updating much in the next 2 weeks, so please be patient with me :) **

****I own nothing you recognize from "Deuces Wild" (although I may or may not have kidnapped Marco), just Rose! ****

When Rose woke up, she was confused— she was curled into Marco's side, his deep, rythymic breathing a sign that he was still asleep, and she forgot for a moment what he was doing in her bed. Then their rather...energetic...morning activities hit her like a ton of bricks. She didn't know what to feel. On one hand, it'd been incredible. She had never for a second doubted that sex with a man like Marco would be anything less than completely mind-blowing. But as she thought more about it, she felt like a hypocrite sleeping with him when technically they'd only gone out once—twice if you counted him driving her home from the movies. She was afraid he'd think she was "fast"-a term her aunt had thrown around to describe girls who slept with guys outside of marriage. (Hell, her aunt probably thought any girl who wore red lipstick or a sleeveless dress was "fast"!) She was worried he'd wake up and immediately leave, never bothering to talk to her again. All those old insecurities she'd had living in such a strict household came back to her; she could actually hear her aunt's heavily-accented voice in her head, saying things that had made her cringe: "Rosalia, remember what I tell you. No man wants to marry a girl who is fast. No man will ever respect a girl who can't keep her legs crossed. That's not the kind of woman they want raising their children. Sure, men like to have a good time—they can't control themselves. It's how God made them. But if you let them have their way with you, they will leave you once they've had a good ride and your reputation will be ruined! No man wants a girl who's been with so many other men. Remember that, Rosalia. You want a good man, a good life, you keep those knees together!" Her aunt would be offering a month of rosaries for Rose's immortal soul if she knew how she'd spent the morning, that's for sure. She wanted to get up and get dressed, but she really didn't want to move. She stared at Marco's handsome face, so peaceful while he was asleep, and nestled in a little closer to him, closing her eyes for a minute.

"Hey dollface, you awake?" she heard him whisper a few minutes later. Marco had tightened his hold on her waist, bringing his face closer to hers. She opened her eyes to find his piercing blue gaze on her. She smiled at him in reply, and he closed the short distance between them to plant a soft, lingering kiss on her lips. When they broke the kiss, he said, "What time is it? I need to get home and talk to Vinnie about last night. See if he found out anything new." Marco kissed her lightly again before struggling with the pain in his chest as he sat up, looking around for his clothing. Rose didn't answer him; she watched him as he found his clothing and got dressed, biting her lip with worry. What if she'd been right? What if this was the brush-off she'd been waiting for? When he looked at her, still laying in bed, covers pulled almost to her chin, he gave her a puzzled look. "Something wrong, Rose? I didn't hurt you earlier did I?" She shook her head and assured him she was fine. "Well then why aren't you getting dressed? We need to leave soon—must be the middle of the afternoon...not that I'm complaining about this morning..." She looked at Marco and said,"SO...you really want me to come with you?" He looked at her with that puzzled look again,"I said I did, didn't I? Rose, everyone knows you're my girl. Even when you were refusing to speak to me, I made it clear to everyone you were mine. And after last night, I feel safer knowing you're with me. I can protect you. I promise you—I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. But it makes my job easier if you're actually with me!" When he first started talking, Rose felt a little lift that he wanted to be with her, not minding his possessiveness when he said she was his. But when he referred to keeping her safe as a "job", her temper flared. "So is that what this morning was about? I'm just a 'job' to you? I guess you think fucking my brains out is just a little perk of your new 'job', huh? Or maybe that was all you were after to begin with. Well fuck you Vendetti!" she said as she stormed out of the room. She knew she was being irrational. She knew he'd probably hightail it out of there and she'd never hear from him again because she was acting like a nut. She just couldn't help it. She had all these fears and insecurities that she couldn't seem to move past. She sat on the side of her tub, her face buried in her hands, willing herself to calm down and not to cry.

Marco was shocked. Hadn't he made it perfectly clear to her that she was his girl? He'd never loved anyone, never really cared much about the girls he used just to get off. But Rose...he just couldn't stop thinking about her, especially during those weeks that she wouldn't speak to him. He would've normally left after an outburst like that. NO ONE talked to him that way, especially not a girl. But he felt compelled to check on her, see if she was okay. He quietly opened the door to the bathroom and looked at her sitting there. He made his way over to her, squatting down in front of her, and took her hands in his. She kept her eyes shut and her head down though, so he gently lifted her chin with his hands. "Wanna tell me what the fuck that was all about?" he asked. She shook her head, so he tried again,"Rose, you're not my job. That's not what I meant. I meant that since you're _mine_, I will do whatever I need to do to make sure nothing happens to you. I like having you with me...thought that was obvious this morning." She still couldn't meet his eyes because she felt embarrassed. After a minute, Marco stood up. "All right, Rose. I'll be seeing you," he said as he made his way to the door. He had only made it halfway down the hall when he heard her say,"Give me a minute to get dressed, okay?" With a smirk on his face, he lit a cigarette and waited, calling back,"You've got 5 minutes doll!"

Marco had already called for someone to come and pick them up, since his car was out of commission for the time being. When they got downstairs, they saw Jimmy Pockets waiting for them. Rose wasn't altogether happy to see him. Jimmy was a good-looking guy, but he was almost always high. And there was something about him that set Rose's teeth on edge—she couldn't pin down what exactly it was, but she just didn't like him. The drive was short, and Rose was glad that she wouldn't be stuck in a car with Jimmy for long. When the got up to Marco's apartment,Vinnie, Philly, and a few other guys were there waiting. They all exchanged high fives and got out more beers while Rose wandered to the living room to sit on the sofa. Marco noticed that she didn't linger in the kitchen and went to check on her. "You okay? You need anything, beautiful?" he asked. Rose smiled and replied, "No I'm all right. Just a little overwhelmed by the last 24 hours." Marco leaned in to give her a kiss and said, "I gotta talk to the guys, see if they found the shooter or anyone who knows something about this other...group. Then how about some dinner? You okay out here for a bit?" Rose told him she'd be fine and he made his way back to the kitchen. Once he sat down & lit a cigarette, all eyes were on him. "So, what did you guys find out about those fuckers that tried to kill me last night? And before anyone says 'nothing yet, Marco', be aware that I am not in the fucking mood for excuses," he said with a glare. The Vipers looked at each other nervously, no one wanting to risk his wrath. Finally it was Vinnie who said, "Guys, clear out for a bit. I wanna talk to Marco alone." Marco raised an eyebrow at the officious tone of his voice, but sat, waiting. Vinnie felt nervous looking at him—he really did look like a snake coiled to strike. "Marco, we had the guys scouring half of Brooklyn last night. No one saw hide nor hair of those Irish fucks. But Philly did hear someone talking about an abandoned building about 5 blocks south of here. Used to be an office building but there was a fire about 10 years ago. Said he heard people talking about seeing lights in there at night, people comin' and goin' at all hours. That might be where they're holed up." Marco took a long drag on his cigarette, exhaled, and looked at Vinnie. "Any idea which rat motherfucker is trying to sell me out?" "Nope. I can't tell if these guys are nervous because they're double-dealing or what because _everyone's_ fucking scared to death of pissing you off," he replied. Marco grinned at the thought as he said, "Good. They fucking should be. We've gotta find this fucker before he tries anything else. You did make sure everyone knows that Rose is not to be touched, right? Because if anyone harms so much as a hair on her head I will kill everyone in my path. She's mine, which means every Viper better make it their priority to protect her. Got it?" The last part came out as more of a snarl. Vinnie locked eyes with him and said, "Yeah, I got it boss. Don't worry. We'll keep her safe."


	9. Going on Hiatus Indefinitely

**Hello Faithful Readers!**

**I am putting this story on hiatus. My daughter has been in the hospital for a week and has been diagnosed with a very rare disorder. There is no cure, & there is no standard of treatment. I was told she may not even survive this. Since I finally came home to spend the night in my own bed after a week in the hospital with her, I thought I would just add this note quick. If/when I get a chance when I'm home & the spirit moves me, I may add a chapter, but it will not be for quite awhile. My focus clearly must be on my daughter, who will likely be in the hospital until the end of May if not longer.**


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